In recent years, leakage of information from a stolen or lost electronic apparatus has become an issue. To be more specific, the issue has arisen that if an electronic apparatus such as a personal computer is stolen or lost, information is also stolen from the stolen or lost electronic apparatus.
Thus, companies, enterprises and the like, which are required to strictly manage information, are considering whether or not to introduce thin-client (zero client) systems in which electronic apparatuses (client terminals) for use by employees are operated under a virtual desktop environment.
In the thin-client system, a server apparatus solely manages resources such as various software and data, thereby enabling electronic apparatuses having a requisite minimum function only to be used as client terminals. If such an electronic apparatus is used, and then even if it is stolen or lost, the risk that information leakage will occur is low.
Incidentally, where a user uses an electronic apparatus in the above thin-client system, the electronic apparatus receives a virtual desktop image from the server apparatus. The virtual desktop image is displayed on a display of the electronic apparatus.
It should be noted that if the user performs an operation using an input device (for example, a keyboard, a touch pad or the like) provided in the electronic apparatus, with a virtual desktop image displayed on the display of the electronic apparatus, information on the operation (hereinafter referred to as operation information on the input device) is transmitted from the electronic apparatus to the server apparatus.
Upon reception of the operation information on the input device, the server apparatus produces a virtual desktop image which reflects the operation information (i.e., an operation performed by the user), and re-transmits the produced virtual desktop image to the electronic apparatus. The re-transmitted virtual desktop image is displayed on the display of the electronic apparatus. Accordingly, the image displayed on the display of the electronic apparatus is updated in accordance with the operation information on the input device by the user. Thereby, the user can use the electronic apparatus, which operates under the virtual desktop environment.
In such a manner, in the thin-client system, the operation information on the input device which is obtained when the user operates the input device, with the virtual desktop image displayed, is all sent to the server apparatus. Thus, using the input device, the user cannot change the setting of hardware of the electronic apparatus which operates under the virtual desktop environment (for example, switching between an available state/unavailable state of the touch pad or adjustment of the brightness of the display).